Inlay Durability

[abey67]

Looking into getting my first CR inlay knife but was curious if anyone has ever had an inlay come off? I know they are secured with a 3M adhesive but I'm ordering this knife to be a user. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Josh K]

Looking into getting my first CR inlay knife but was curious if anyone has ever had an inlay come off? I know they are secured with a 3M adhesive but I'm ordering this knife to be a user. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Inlays coming off is very rare but not unheard of. Micarta makes the best users in my opinion, second would be bog oak or ebony. When the inlay does fail it's often due to the natural wood warping due to heat, moisture, or something else and not because of the adhesive simply failing.

They use 3M's VHB double sided "tape" (it's not really a tape). You can watch a stress test below or google around. They use this stuff to put wings on planes and siding on buildings. It's waterproof, permanent, and extremely strong.

 

[Jsega51]

Ever had the displeasure of debadging a car/truck? That double sided tape is ridiculously strong. I’d probably keep your knife out of the dishwasher but other than that, I really don’t see them ever coming off.

 

[kidcongo]

It is not a concern. My Micarta inlayed CRK knives get washed in the sink, cleaned with windex or brake cleaner, no issues. My wood inlay knives get similar treatment, but lighter on the brake cleaner .

VHB tape failing is certainly a possibility, but not commonly reported here by people who use their knives.

 

[Ajack60]

The only one I’ve read about was a wood inlay that warped due to getting wet repeatedly.

 

[Dcdavis]

I had a wood inlay warp this summer. CRK warrantied it without any hesitation. I’ve had other wood inlays in a lot worse situations that have held up just fine.
Micarta is bulletproof. I have a red micarta that shows some scratches but other than that no issues at all. I don’t really consider that an issue either.

 

[pxl]

My micarta came loose after 3 years of use. I glued it with epoxy. No problems with my bog oak inlays.

 

[Ante Vukorepa]

Apart from a manufacturing defect (either in the inlays, or the scales, or the VHB), i don’t see how it could happen.

Warping alone should not be enough - repeated warping back and forth would do the trick.
The only other thing that could undo it would be solvents, but it would - again - have to be repeated exposure (through edges and installation/locating holes under the inlays).

 

[TRfromMT]

If you have ever attempted to remove inlays on purpose... you know they are not coming off without tremendous effort.

 

[jascolli]

I had a wood inlay warp this summer. CRK warrantied it without any hesitation. I’ve had other wood inlays in a lot worse situations that have held up just fine.
Micarta is bulletproof. I have a red micarta that shows some scratches but other than that no issues at all. I don’t really consider that an issue either. View attachment 1418650

I love that picture. I'm hoping mine will look like that one day! I love the red micarta from KSF. Your user pics are really inspiring.

 

[Dcdavis]

I love that picture. I'm hoping mine will look like that one day! I love the red micarta from KSF. Your user pics are really inspiring.

Thanks man. That was my first inlayed Inkosi. CRKs just look real good worn

 

[tomsch]

Great thread! I've had over 10 CRKs starting with a large and small Regular and then moving on to Classics. I still have large and small 21s, an old school Mnandi, and recently picked up my first inlay model which is a large natural micarta Inkosi. It's already starting to show a little darkening but I never have a CRK that I don't put to use so it's good to hear about the inlay durability.